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After a slate full of non-conference games, the ACC heads to conference play beginning Thursday. It is also a good time for the best players in the country to start asserting themselves from the rest of the pack.
The top two players in the ACC so far are Louisville senior guard Asia Durr and Notre Dame senior guard Arike Ogunbowale. Both are also the conference’s leading scorers after the conclusion of non-conference play, both averaging over 22 points per game. And both are likely first round picks in this year’s WNBA Draft.
Of the two seniors, Durr could be a lottery pick in next year’s WNBA Draft, and she was also in consideration for the Team USA FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Team. This season, Durr isn’t just scoring consistently — she has at least 11 points in every game — but she is also making more plays as a passer, averaging a career high 3.5 assists per game while turning over the ball at a career-low 1.5 times per game.
In fact, Durr has dished at least three or more assists in every game since a Nov. 9 win against Chattanooga. Durr will not be a full-time WNBA point guard, but her ability to make plays passing the ball will still be an asset for any team that drafts her.
Ogunbowale is known for her heroics in last year’s NCAA Tournament and is a great scorer (23.1 points per game) in her own right. But she is a 5-foot-8-inch “tweener” shooting guard who is a bit short to play against most wings in the WNBA. Most WNBA shooting guards are closer to 6 feet tall.
Height hasn’t stopped Ogunbowale from putting up big numbers on the scoreboard. She scored 30 or more points four times this season, including a 32-point performance on Dec. 22 against Marquette. She is also a strong rebounder (5.5 per game) at the guard position, which includes her ten-rebound performance against UConn in Notre Dame’s lone loss on Dec. 2.
Though Ogunbowale is making 49.1 percent of her shots, she isn’t a sharpshooter, only making 29.3 percent of her three-point shots. Ogunbowale’s ability to score points should make her a first-round pick, but she will probably fall outside the top four.
Games of the week
Virginia Tech Hokies (13-0) at Miami Hurricanes (12-3)
When: Thursday, Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Watsco Arena, Coral Gables, FL | TICKETS
How to watch: ACC Network Extra
Notes: The Hokies head down to southern Florida to play a Miami team that was ranked until just recently. Virginia Tech is already ranked No. 25 in the coaches’ poll and could find themselves ranked in the AP Poll once this weekend is finished.
Duke Blue Devils (8-4) at No. 9 NC State Wolfpack (13-0)
When: Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Valvano Arena, Raleigh, NC | TICKETS
How to watch: ACC Network Extra
Notes: The Blue Devils have won two in a row heading into their first ACC game. They will face a tough test right away as they travel to face intrastate rival NC State. Duke also hasn’t played often as the underdog against NC State in quite some time.
No. 3 Louisville Cardinals (12-0) at Duke Blue Devils (8-4)
When: Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC | TICKETS
How to watch: ACC Network Extra
Notes: The Cardinals will finish a weekend in the North Carolina research triangle in Durham after playing the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday. If Duke wins both games against the Wolfpack and the Cardinals, they could find themselves back in the conversation as a ranked team. For Louisville, this game is a rematch of a close 66-60 win they had last year over the Blue Devils. Durr suffered an ankle injury and had to be carried off the court in the first half, but she did come back and score 22 points in a hard-fought victory. Durr and the Cardinals will be looking to win the game at full strength this time.
Elsewhere in the ACC
- Thirteen of the 15 teams have won at least nine games heading into conference play. Three teams — the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals, the No. 9 NC State Wolfpack and the Virginia Tech Hokies — remain undefeated. No. 2 Notre Dame (12-1) remains the conference favorite with their lone loss coming to No. 1 UConn. No. 14 Syracuse has also soundly defeated most of their opponents, except for losses to then-No. 3 Oregon and No. 20 Minnesota.
- Duke (8-4) and Virginia (6-7) are the two ACC teams that do not have at least nine wins heading into conference play. In fact, both teams are slumping while the ACC as a whole has been doing quite well.
- The Blue Devils finished their non-conference schedule with a convincing 83-66 win over East Carolina (9-3) on Dec. 28 where Haley Gorecki scored 26 points to lead Duke. Virginia held off a comeback by the Charlotte 49ers (8-4) in a 65-61 win on Dec. 30. Lisa Jablonowski scored 16 points to lead the Cavaliers in their win.